Comment by PragmaticPulp | Hacker News Reader

Comment by PragmaticPulp | Hacker News Reader

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> Austerity and cynicism dominate the US right now though.

This is greatly exaggerated by news media and social media, especially with everyone stuck at home. The contrast between what I read online and what I see in the real world has never felt larger.

Austerity refers to reduced government spending, which is the opposite of what we’re experiencing right now. We’re spending so much that my CPA friends are working overtime to help businesses figure out what to do with their stimulus money. Prices for goods like lumber are through the roof because construction demand is off the charts. My local construction companies don’t have any availability until Q4, if they’re taking bids at all.

Obviously we have problems that need to be addressed, but the combination of 24/7 news media and politicians competing for our attention has exaggerated these issues to the point that we’re losing our ability to put things in perspective or judge the absolute scale of social issues.

This is not meant to be a cynical take, but where do you see investment in America right now that's not being done in a corporation?

All I see is "we can't afford to do this" while the military wastes trillions of dollars on pet projects.

When I look at how other countries treat their citizens, I can't help but think of the guy who calls us, "human capital stock."

That, IMHO, is how the U.S. views its citizens.

Borrowing rates have never been lower and corporate debt issuance has never been higher. Companies are investing.

What I experience in real life is pretty bad. My extended family went from being really close and compassionate to hateful and unable to be in the room with others.

Your world might be nice, but not everyone else's is.

> My extended family went from being really close and compassionate to hateful and unable to be in the room with others.

I can't speak to your personal situation, but from what I've seen this is usually driven by the exact trends the person you're responding to is pointing out. Exaggerated media and politics.

(I'm sorry about your family. I'm not trying to discount your experiences, just bring the GP comment proper context). I don't think you understood the parent comment. They weren't saying that everything is rosy, they were saying that the economic doom and gloom portrayed in the media (especially surrounding COVID) does not make the current economic reality. The context was not social polarization.

Ultimately people are the cause and our media is a symptom. Folks want to hear doom, outrage, oversimplified & radical takes, and the reinforcement of their beliefs. That sells. Supply and demand. So your outlet can play ball or get steamrolled by someone who will. I think mywittyname is right to focus on the people, not the media symptom.

I'd argue doom and gloom isn't what people want to hear.

It's a weakness in our psychology, we're entertained by drama and it sells well.

> We’re spending so much that my CPA friends are working overtime to help businesses figure out what to do with their stimulus money.

So really what you and @lanai are talking about seem to identify you both are in completely different strata.

As the US experiences more and more social/economic stratification, these separate realities become more divergent (canonical YMMV).

It's peak ignorance to pretend everyone has the same conditions as you. Stats show many people are suffering.

This is pretty much the crux of why we see unrest and increased polarization. There are the afore mentioned CPAs with just too much stimulus money to spend, people buying houses faster than they can be built, or the high net wealth individuals that might as well be aliens on mars (and coincidentally can't wait to do). Meanwhile people are falling deeper behind on rent payments with delinquency figures at 25% in NYC, unemployment figures hovering around 10%, small businesses forced into insolvency, and a radically different landscape when this is all said and done.

Those at the very top made out like a bandit, and there are a cohort of the PMC that will to be fine. For this group to be so out of touch with reality to downplay or outright ignore these issues is a direct path to a very angry segment on society.

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